Today was, umm, interesting! We woke up in the morning, and it was almost a blizzard outside!! Despite the bad/cold weather all over Canada this spring, this is the first real snow we have seen on our trip. We basically decided to sit in our tent for a while and wait for it to stop. Around 2pm it was a little warmer, and not actually snowing, so we set out for a short trip to Kenora. We have hit the hills and rocks of Ontario at this point, and it's a nice relief from the wind!

On a good note, we had an interesting encounter with a truck today (no - not a crash :). As this truck came towards us, he honked three times, and gave us a big thumbs up! It was a small gesture, but it bosted my spirits quite a bit! It was a "TransX" truck, which appropriately enough does cross country shipping, and I'm sure he'd seen us before on the road, probably somewhere in the praries! It was neat to have a gesture like that from someone random (grin).

I popped another spoke on my rear wheel today, and I'm going to have to go to the bike shop in Kenora to get the wheel trued again! This seems to be my only problem with the bike...

Fri May 24, 2002 - Dryden, ON (133km)

Good thing I went to that bike shop in Kenora (Olympia Cycle)! I got to chatting with one of the guys there, and he told us to take Hwy 17 to Thunder Bay, instead of Hwy 71 as we had planned. We were going to take 71, as it seems like everyone else who bikes does this, but as the guy in the store said: "People take that route because guide books tell them to do so. The problem is, that information is 10-15 years old". The route we are on has better paved roads (very important when biking), better scenery (apparently), and is somewhat shorter. So basically, why not?

So we embarked on our trip to Dryden, which ended up being a somewhat stinky town (they have a huge pulp & paper plant there). The road to Dryden was by far the best road we have been on in Canada!! So much for Ontario having the worst roads! I guess the Hwy 71 route is much worse than the one we are on.. :)

People are still honking at us (in a friendly way, not the get-out-of-may-way annoyed honk) as we bike along. It's become reflexive - hear a honk, lift a hand and wave at the car/truck. I guess they recognize us from passing us previously or something, but we don't often recognize them!

Sat May 25, 2002 - Igance (115km)

The roads are not quite as nice as before Dryden, but they are still pretty well paved. The thing that strikes me about Northern Ontario is the amount of water!! There are lakes EVERYWHERE, and streams and marshes everywhere else. After the bone dry sections of the praries, this is a welcome relief!

We ran into a group of 6 people from Nova Scotia today, who are driving across the country. They have been at it for 6 days, compared to us at just under a month (grin). I think they thought we were a ltitle crazy! :)

Sun May 26, 2002 - 20km East of Upsala (128km)

Wiiiiindy!! But this time in the right direction, finally! This is only the second time this trip we have had the wind at our backs, and man, it was fun! We blew straight to Upsala today, setting a record for average speed so far on our trip (26.6km/h). We had an amazing day, sunny, and speedy! What more could we ask for!!

One interesting event: I was biking somewhat ahead of Ian, when a truck flashed his lights at us. I did my reflexive wave of the hand, but he didn't follow the normal routine - this time he was pointing quite intently to my right. I didn't quite know what to make of this - what did he mean?? Perhaps there was a wide load truck coming, and I should move over as far over to the edge of the shoulder as I could? I don't know.

So I slowed down a bit and pulled up alongside Ian. I started describing what the trucker had done, when over Ian's shoulder I spot a black bear! It is standing on a hill no more than 20-30 feet from us, an looking at us quite curiously (again - wildlife doesn't seem to know what to do about bikes). I say something like "Holy Crap! Bear!", and Ian turns to see it. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of the bear, as I didn't really want to stop and pull my camera out (grin). We were going at a good speed at the time, so there was no worry about it coming after us, but that was by far the closest I have ever been to a wild bear!

Mon May 27, 2002 - Thunder Bay (122km)

We made it! Thunder Bay has a population of 117,000 people, but it feels much larger. The ride today was decent - pretty hilly!! The BIG hills of the north shore of Lake Superior are yet to come, but the terrain is starting to get more interesting as we go along. We stopped at Kakabeka Falls (cutely titled "Niagara of the North") which is a pretty big waterfall near Thunder Bay. I think this is one of the first touristy things we have done, outside of rest days!

We had steak at The Keg for dinner - I had to mention this because I think it was one of the best meals I have ever had!! The combination of good steak and LOTS of excercise made the meal out of this world! Another hidden advantage to cycling across Canada - food tastes better :).

We saw Star Wars Episode II as well - not a good choice!! Who came up with that dialog?? We are staying in a college eesidence, which is a hostel in the summer - kinda funny to be back in res again! Tomorrow is a rest day, and then we are headed to Sault Ste. Marie!

Wed May 29, 2002 - Nipigon (110km)

On the road again - the rest day was good as usual, and there was only one hitch in our plans for today. I decided to get my rear wheel rebuilt, after picking it up yesterday and being told "it was in bad shape". Fortunately, this only takes about 1.5 hours of work! So I got up late (since the bike store only opens at 10pm) and got my bike there to be repaired. All went well, and I'm happy that I won't be breaking spokes every 100km anymore (they take about 20-30mins to repair, each time it happens).

So we got a late start, around 12:30-1:00, but still made it to Nipigon before dark! The ride was good, the hills weren't very big yet, and the views were quite good. There is a monument to Terry Fox just north of Thunder Bay (this is how far he made it on his cross Canada run) which is very impressive, and has an awesome view! Pictures forthcoming as usual.. :) Other than that, some more wildlife - a beaver at our campsite, and lots of bugs (grin).

Thu May 30, 2002 - Terrace Bay (108km)

The hills of the North Shore of Superior have started, and some of them are quite big, that's for sure! I'd love to say that the scenery is amazing up here, but today was full of fog & rain, so we couldn't see too much!! We got to another late start today, as it was pouring when we woke up at 6am, so we waited until 10am when it had stopped. There were two hills of note - the first one is just outside the Indian Reserve of Pays Plat. It was a 4km uphill, follwed by a 7km downhill! Very, very fun! The downhill was a little scary (but exhilarating) though - because of the fog, we couldn't see much further than 30-50 feet in front of us! Just around the corner from this hill was another 3km climb - more fun! The clouds started to clear around Schrieber (near the end of our day) and we got a nice sunny view to end the day off (before the fog closed in again towards Terrace Bay). A good day!

Fri May 31, 2002 - 40km West of White River (133km)

The hills started getting pretty serious today - from Terrace Bay to Marathon was very hilly - constant up and down, through beautiful river valleys, and random hills (the people who built the Trans-Canada Highway seem to like having it climb the highest hills around - there has been a number of times that they just seem to purposly aim at a hill that is higher than the ones around it!). We were getting pretty tired by the time we had done 80km (near Marathon). Fortunately for us, the terrain leveled out a bit after that.

Around 100km, I stopped for a bit to wait for Ian, and after not having moved for a while, I started getting swarmed by black flies!! We had entered major black fly territory, and I hadn't realized it. So we quickly got moving again! I learned a few things:

Black Flies can't fly 30km/h. If you go 30km/h or faster, you will not be bothered by them.

At 20km/h, they can fly alongside you, and a swarm will slowly build as you go along.

DON'T STOP.

I can bike for a lot longer, at a higher speed than I ever thought I was capable of!

Campsite was makeshift - at a motel/cabin resort thingy, with no real camp facilities! Cheaper than normal though.. :)

Sat Jun 1, 2002 - Wawa, or Bust! (128km)

Wawa. I don't know why, but the name of the town just seems funny to me (no offence to the 4,500 people who live there!). The terrain remained quite flat today, until we got near Wawa, and the black flies were not nearly as bad, thank goodness! One of the big things today was noticing the extensive forest fire damage from wildfires in 1999. The damage went for quite a long ways, and we were only on the southern edge of one of the fires... We also saw a moose today!!! I've been waiting for a long time to catch sight of one. It was on the side of the road, completely ignoring loud trucks and cars, but again, when it saw us (or heard us) it took off quite quickly.

We also went through White River, which is where the bear that started Winne-The-Pooh was sold from. The campsite tonight was one of the best we have been in, in terms of facilties and beauty (the only campsite in Wawa).

Sun Jun 2, 2002 - Montreal River (114km)

All I can say is Wow!. We went through Lake Superior Provincial Park today, and it provided what I found to be the most beautiful scenery yet! The Rockies were amazing in their own way, but for pure beauty, some of the bays in the park had them beat. Just gorgeous territory, that's all I can say!! We saw a lot of wildlife today - more moose, a fox, some herons, and the usual assortment of birds.. :).

I had a minor mishap today - my bike shoes decided that they didn't want to come out of their clips on the bike, so I ended up circling around a rest stop 4-5 times complaining to Ian that I couldn't detach myself from the bike!! I actually ended up undoing my shoe and taking my foot out so that I could stop moving in cirles. Ian was laughing very hard through the whole process (grin).

Very, very hilly... I was pretty tired by the end of the day, but it was well worth it for the sights. I have some nice panoramic shots, but I won't be able to get them up until I get back home.

Mon Jun 3, 2002 - Sault Ste. Marie (122km)

Ahhhhh... What a trip! The stretch we just completed has been referred to on other logs as one of the hardest parts of the cross Canada trek. I didn't find it that bad, to be honest. To be straight - it was hard physically, compared to many other areas we've been through, but the rewards have been much, much greater. Awesome views, and great hills to have fun on.

One big change is there are now leaves on the trees!! I know this is nothing big to Southern Ontario people, but we haven't seen any leaves on trees since we left Vancouver in April! Wawa had no leaves, but as we biked further south, it seemed like the trees were sprouting more and more! Nice to see green again.

There is a big hill outside of The Soo, called "1 Mile Hill". It is, well, 1 mile long (grin).. Pretty steep hill! 100m elevation gain in that space. In total for the past two days, we are over 1,800 meters climbed! As high as Kicking Horse Pass back in B.C. Go figure!

We are staying at a friend's house in the Soo, and will be taking a rest day tomorrow. After this, only 5-7 days until we are home for Graduation!

Tue Jun 4, 2002 - Rest Day

My thanks go to the Kerr family for being amazing hosts to Ian & I for our stay in Sault Ste. Marie! We had an amazing time, and it was a great chance to rest and relax.

Mr. Kerr took us over to the U.S. side, and we got to see the Soo Locks in operation, moving 1000ft boats between the lakes. We also were treated to some very amazing fudge - if you're ever in the Soo, go get some fudge (grin). Gotta love being able to eat anything and still lose weight! After the locks, we went to the Bushplane Museum, back in the Ontario side. This museum is quite good! It had been put together pretty recently, but the wealth of information and displays is quite respectable. Sault Ste. Marie looked like quite a nice town!

Thanks to the guys, who waited patiently for my pictures to upload in an Internet Cafe - which took forever, for some reason... The funny thing about the internet cafe, was running into the three guys from Newfoundland who are biking across canada! We heard about these guys back in Golden B.C., but they have made some amazing time to be here already!! I couldn't believe they caught up to us! I chatted with them VERY briefly, as they were cold and wet, and hungry, and I know how that can be (grin).

Wed Jun 5, 2002 - Spragge (165.75km)

Our longest day yet!! We left the Soo, hoping to make Iron Bridge, or Blind River. Since they day had been going so well, we decided to push a little further and we made it to Spragge! The day was very good, a lot of good cycling, and some good scenery as well.

Today I perfected the "zone", where you become one with the bicycle. Now before you start calling me mad, and thinking I have spent to much time on the bike, hear me out (grin). After this much cycling, you know the bike well, and you don't need to concentrate on the actual pedalling at all - you just kind of move along, with your concentration elsewhere, able to think about what you want, and enjoy the scenery as much as you want. It makes the cycling seem effortless - you don't even notice the effort going into making the bike move. The miles fly by when you are in the "zone". Today I spent a lot of time in the zone - the day just flew by!

The roads in Ontario remain quite nice, with decent shoulders for us to ride on. Since it is now getting to be summer time, that of course means constrution time!! The last 20km on our route to Spragge were under heavy constuction - they had milled the road (you know - when they scrape away part of the road, and leave those lines behind that are annoying to drive on). Needless to say, this is quite hard to bike on - the vibrations go straight to your hands and butt, and everything goes numb. You fight for control of the bike, as different tires follow different grooves in the road. But in a month, anyone following this route should love the road here!!

Thu Jun 6, 2002 - 10km S of Little Current (131km)

When we woke up, Ian saw the three guys from Newfoundland who are doing the same trip as us, bike by our campsite! Man those guys move! They came from Wawa to the Soo in one day (over 200km) and then didn't even take a rest day! Kudos to them for moving as fast as they do! The bugs were terrible this morning, so it was in our best interests to get moving as fast as possible.

Forutnately, the construction ended about 2km after the campsite, so no more sliced up roads! The terrain was quite nice today - I'm still adjusting to everything being nice and green, so it is quite pretty. To my suprise, we caught up with the Newfoundland guys in Massey (40km from our start), and chatted with them a bit - they said they were moving slowly because of the headwind. They were staying in hotels (not even motels!) every night, and had a decent amount less gear than we did - that would get expensive!! Anyways, they took off again, and we stuck around for 20 mins taking a break.

Once again, to our suprise, we caught up with them! We weren't trying to go fast, but they seemed to be going pretty slow - perhaps they needed a rest day (grin). So Ian & I decided to have some fun with them - after hanging around behind them for a while, we sped past them, knowing that we had to turn off the Trans Canada in a few kilometers to head down to Manitoulin Island. We probably annoyed them (yes, we were being annoying - I'll admit it!). I told them about the GREAT ice cream in Espanola, but they didn't stop - probabaly still annoyed (grin).

Speaking of the ice cream - if you ever go to the intersection of Hwy 6 and Hwy 17, there is a shop called the "North West Trading Company" and they have ice cream that is honestly the best I have ever had! It's just outside the town of Espanola. Worth the stop 100%!!

The rest of the ride was more challenging than we had epxected - lots of hills ans very curvy roads on the road down to Manitoulin! But we made it, even though it was getting dark by the time we hit camp. 2km before camp, we ran into another 2 people who were going to bike from Midland to B.C.. I wish them luck! They seemed unprepared - having bought the cheapest mountain biked from Canadian Tire, and having barely any gear. They were surviving by going into every town with a Canadian Tire and getting their bikes repaired (many things were breaking already, even though they had just started out). They were quite nice people though, and we chatted with them about each others trips for quite a while.

Fri Jun 7, 2002 - Tobermory (57km)

With an exceptional start, we are off! The extremely nice people that were cottaging in an RV next to our campsite offered us coffee and pancakes for breakfast this morning! So we sat with them and chatted, and ate our special treat of a meal. They were from Sudbury, and used the campsite as a semi-permanent cottage. They had a dog that Ian loved - a terrier-lab mix, which was VERY intelligent, and quite nice!

Today was intended to be a bit of a rest day, since we only had to make it to the ferry on the south end of the island, and then we'd camp in Tobermory, just off the ferry. The wind had other plans for us, as usual! We faced a stiff headwind the whole way, and it was a battle to make it to the ferry docks in time to catch the ferry! The cows on the island seem to love us, and had some fun chasing us! I passed by a group of them, and then when Ian did, they started running after us!! I don't know why, or what they wanted, but they follwed us as long as they could (fence in the way) and then just stood there in the corner looking at us mournfully. There is a little video clip here if you like.

Sat Jun 8, 2002 - Owen Sound (112km)

A wet start this morning - the rain was splattering on and off, but mostly off. We got up at a decent time, very hungry and trying not to get wet - knowing from the weather report that the further south we got, the less chance of rain there would be!

We faced a headwind for pretty much the whole day today, so making the distance we did was a good thing. By making Owen Sound, it is possible to make it home in one more day! The trip itself was pretty - I can't believe how GREEN everything is! Either I'm not used to it anymore, or this spring has been amazing for growth, or both, but everything seems to be far greener than usual. The roads today were some of the yuckier ones we've had, with many cracks and bumps, but there were good shoulders to ride on at least!

We were headed for a campsite just south of Owen Sound, but got our plans changed for the better. We stopped in a gas station so I could get some milk, and I got chatting with the cashier/wife of the owner. I told her that I used to have family that lived in the area, and she asked some questions about them. She then asked Ian where we were going tonight, and we told her to a campsite just down the road. She told us we could just set up our tent on the land next to the station, or near a restaurant across the street they owned as well! Even offered us showers if we wanted them! Quite nice! So we saved some coin on a campground tonight, and set our tent up next to the restaurant.

Sun Jun 9, 2002 - Mississauga!! (166km)

"Home for a Rest" comes to mind! Yes, Ian & I have made it back home for graduation & relaxation! The trip today was a huge adrenaline rush for me - We started the day just outside Owen Sound, where my grandparents used to live. This means that the route we took back to Mississauga is one that I have been on in a car countless times with my parents - so it was really neat to bike it home! It was also awesome to have finally reversed the 5 hour plane flight back in april, and to come rolling up to my front door under my own power. If the sense of accomplishment is this big from the first half of the trip, I can only imagine what I'll feel like when I finish!

We took Hwy 10 down from Owen Sound, and as it turns out, went near the highest point of land in Southern Ontario - near Dundalk. So the first 50km today was somewhat uphill, and there was a little wind in our faces, which I found ok, as it cooled me off (hot day!), but Ian wasn't much for. After that, we sailed! Downhill and the wind became a tailwind that pushed us straight to Mississauga. The ride was great, and it was quite the way to finish of the first "half"!

Tue Jun 11, 2002 - Oh boy!

Well, I know I'm not biking, but I had a slight experience today that I felt I should share... An ironic one, would be the best way to put it, actually. I've been kind of paranoid about having my stuff stolen during the bike trip, so I never let my bag with my camera, etc, out of my sight during the past few weeks.

So.... Today I got to M.E.C. in Toronto, and park the car underneath the building. When I finish up at the store, and return to the car, it has been broken into, and ransacked. My digital camera is no more, and Jen's school bag that took her through University is gone as well. They popped the lock open, took the camera from under my seat, and Jen's bag from my trunk. Gone! While they were at it, they did 2-3 others cars in the parking lot as well (so the cop I was talking to later told me). Smooth, professional job. So somewhere on the black market is a camera that stamps every picture with my name!

Kinda sucky, to say the least!! I'm in the middle of dealing with insurance, and all I can say is that I hope to have a camera to use before I head out for the second half of the trip! On the bright side, no damage was done to the car, and everything (and everyone) else is ok.

Sun Jun 23, 2002 - On the road again!

Well, I'm pleased to say that we are once again heading out! Tomorrow (Monday), we will start the 2nd half of our trip, yay!! :) Everything is set - my camera is back, and the wheels will shortly roll.. See ya from the road!

Mon Jun 24, 2002 - Coburg (100km)

Ahhh.... Feels very good to be on the road again! For once in my life, I felt like I hadn't forgotten anything! I thought I actually had brought everything I needed with me! Of course, I was quite wrong... I forgot: Water bottles, helmet (!), and my organizer (which is being used to record trip distances and all the descriptions for the photos). The helmet bothered me the most - I felt naked riding without it!

In any case, Ian & I were off, headed to possibly Trenton, 140km away, where Holly's parents awaited. The day was hot & humid, and since we had been off for two weeks, we figured we probably shouldn't actually go that far, but rather cut the distance in half and end up in Port Hope. We stopped in Oshawa to get some water bottles for me, and a helmet. I am quite happy with the new helmet, it's much more comfortable than my old one! The random occurrence of the day was running into my friend Shauna, in Bowmanville! She happened to be waiting for a light to turn green on a sidewalk, at the same time that we were passing though! So she invited us to her house for a little, and we stopped for about an hour. Odd, running into people you know that you don't expect to see!

The rest of the day was good - we ended up in Coburg, because we couldn't find anywhere to camp. Tomorrow will be a short day to Trenton!

Tue Jun 25, 2002 - Trenton (55km)

Oh boy - it was HOT today. I don't know what it was, but between dehydration, allergies, and just being so hot, Ian & I both had our hardest day yet! We only had to go 55km to Trenton, but it took us most of the day, with plenty of rest stops and a LOT of ice cream. I managed to double dose my allergy pill, which I think accounted for the way I felt (out of it).

Upon arrival at the White's, the day took a large turn for the better. We were treated to cool drinks, and a great dinner (Partridge Berry pies are awesome!!). We also got a good tour of Trenton, as well as the base there! You'll see some pictures of one of the dogs, Tess, having fun in the bay on the base. Thanks to Mr. & Mrs. White for their generousity!

Wed Jun 26, 2002 - Kingston (103km)

Much better! It was pretty hot today as well, but we fared much better - in fact we were fine! I'll just knock yesterday down to overdosing on allergy pills (grin). It was cloudy for the first part of the day (which helped), and raining slightly. I have never been so happy in the rain! It was all we needed to cool off, and the warm/humid weather kept it from being too cold. After an extended lunch at Tim Horton's, we continued to Kingston, making it there by about 4pm. Ian & I gave ourselves a tour around Queens, and discovered what so many others have - it is beautiful! It puts many other campuses to shame...

Shortly after, I got ahold of Virginia, and we headed out for some dinner. She showed us all around Kingston (very pretty town - check out the pic of the nicest looking "Macs" convenience store I have ever seen). After a beer or two at a local Irish Pub, we headed for bed. Another great night, thanks Virginia!

Thu Jun 27, 2002 - Ottawa! (167km)

What a great day!! We left Kingston early (8:15), to try and beat some of the heat. I had looked over the map to see how far we'd be biking today, and it looked to be about 140km. We quickly found out I was wrong - the signs on the road indicated 170-180km! Well, a little long for a hot day like today (30-32 degrees C), but it should still be possible. It was hot, and it was long - I have started to carry a LOT of water with me, and I'm using huge amounts. 5-7 litres a day, while biking, not including random drinks along the way!

I think we stopped for ice cream something like 3 times - it was such a good way to cool down! That and dumping water on my head :). But seriously, the trip was beautiful - Ontario is so very green right now, and everything looks wonderful! The route we took followed the Rideau Canal, but oddly, we only saw it for maybe 5km of our entire trip! The best part of the day was running away from a thunderstorm. Ian turns to me and says "I think we can make it!", referring to the town of Smith's Falls, which was about 25km distant. The lightning was flashing ominously, and the storm was coming at us from behind, with the wind pushing it towards us. So off we went! Pedalling like mad, keeping a 35km/h average, and arriving just in time to miss the storm! Woohoo!

When we got closer to Ottawa, we were told it had rained most of the day there - we had only seen 20 mins of rain (to our dismay - we wanted to get wet to cool down). Other than the dog attack (read Ian's entry), a very good day! I must say Ian kept his cool when that dog chased us - all he said to me was "Go - Go!" in a cool, collected (but strong) voice. The adrenaline rush lasted for another 5-10km after that - it was a great boost! :)

Sun Jun 30, 2002 - Rest Days in Ottawa

Another amazing time in another Canadian city! Sarah showed us all around town, and we got to see a lot of neat things! Canada Day once again proved to be a riot - we ran into Margaret, Laura, Cecelia, and Katherine, and spent most of the day with them. The fireworks were awesome - I took something like 100 photos of them - the ones that are left are my "choice" selections.. :). Getting out of downtown after the fireworks was MADNESS. I recommend checking this movie out to see what it was like!

On a biking note - I was defintely out of shape after the 2 weeks off. The day after arriving in Ottawa, I could barely walk!! I was quite sore. By the 3rd day, I was ready to bike again, but I'm glad we had a few days off here!

Tue Jul 2, 2002 - Final Rest Day in Ottawa!

Today was originally going to be our departure date from Ottawa, but as the weather forecast was calling for 36 degree temperatures, we decided to stick around one more day. Unfortuantely, when we checked the forecast today, tomorrow is not going to be any better! We really have to get moving though, so we are planning on getting up and leaving by 5am tomorrow (very few people up here believe that we can do this, I wonder why?!!? :)

We lazed around at Sarah's place all day, and then went to Margaret's for the evening/night. Caught up with each other, stayed up too late chatting (cause we couldn't fall asleep) and set my alarm for 4:20, 4:25, and 4:30am (grin).

Wed Jul 3, 2002 - Vouager Prov. Park (120km)

After staying at Margaret's place (thanks Margaret!!) for our final night in Ottawa, we got up at the horrible hour of 4:45am, and were on the road by 5:15am. Whew! The temperature is headed for 35 today, so we needed to get as much biking done in the morning as possible. We made 65km by 10am, and found a beautiful park to stop at. We set up our tent and read/slept for 8 hours until 6pm, when the sun started to go down, and the temperature had dropped to 34. My GOD it's hot today!! This is the hottest I have ever excercised in. I've been doing my best to not think about smog warnings on days like this. Also thinking about being out east in the Maritimes helps - I can't wait!

We made it to our destination at 9pm, to find that the nearest campsite was 20km further down the road! This wasn't really a bad thing - this way tomorrow will be a shorter day, and since it is somewhat late at this point, it's decently "cool" (I use that word very loosely). So we put our lights on, and went the extra 20km, and set up our tent in the dark, with many, many bugs to keep us company (grin). Ian took an ice cold shower (no choice - no hot water!), I opted out, but it was a hard call - believe me!

The campsite was quite busy - gone are the days when we are some of the only people using the campsites! Gone too are the clean washrooms.. :)